


Happy Birthday, Tim

by Avanalae



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Character Death, Gen, and another heavily implied one, get ready for some angst baby, it's a party - Freeform, wink wonk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 15:25:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11671851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avanalae/pseuds/Avanalae
Summary: After an argument with Dick, Tim goes out for patrol. What a miserable way to spend a birthday. Little does he know, it's going to be his last.





	Happy Birthday, Tim

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted January 2014.

“I’m not some little boy that you can order around anymore, Dick! I can make my own decisions. It’s my life.”

Dick waves a hand in a dismissive gesture, “Tim, you obviously aren’t taking care of yourself. Have you even looked in the mirror lately? You’re a stick!” He frowns, “And have you seen the shadows under your eyes?”

“You think I don’t know that? I’m not as oblivious as you seem to think I am, Dick.”

“I don’t-“

“But you have no right to  _bench_  me. I’m not your sidekick. I’m not Robin. Don’t you remember? You’re the one who took that title from me, remember?”

“Damian needed Robin, Tim, and you know that!”

“But what about me?” Tim shouts, his voice filled with desperation. “I needed Robin, too! It was the one thing I could hold onto when everything was falling apart and you took that away from me.” Tim’s voice drops to a rasp.

Dick’s faces twists, “Tim…”

“And you want me to stay in the manor with the child who you gave my title – a title that was not yours to give away – to, the child who routinely tries to  _kill_ me and verbally abuses me.”

“Tim, that’s not true. Damian’s just a little rough-“

Tim’s face goes blank and Dick hesitates.

Seconds pass and when Dick opens his mouth again, Tim shakes his head.

“No, Dick. I’m going. I’m going back to  _my_  home. And I’m going to do what I want, whether that be resting or patrolling.”

“Timmy-“

“No,” Tim turns away and walks to his motorcycle. “Just… no.”

“Fine! Go and work yourself to death! Go die!” Dick shouts.

Tim doesn’t turn around but speaks clearly, “Fine.”

No one follows him as he rides out of the cave.

_

What a way to start an anniversary of one’s birth. He looks at his watch.

00:13

Tim hadn’t been expecting anything today. In the past, his birthday either only brought horrid things or, eventually, just passed unnoticed. No matter the hints Tim would leave around. No matter how he would talk about wanting to spend time with his family on his birthday.

Nothing came from it.

So he just stopped.

Like he had expected, he’d received no indication that his family remembered his birthday this year. Though even in his apparent forgetfulness, Dick still kept to the tradition by initiating that horrible argument.

Even though it was his twenty-first; supposedly an age that was due great celebration. That’s okay, though, he keeps telling himself; at least they haven’t outright rejected me yet.

But someone  _had_  remembered his birthday.

He’d been on a standard patrol when he saw red – blood, so much blood – and then there was darkness.

_

Tim stared blankly into the lens of the camera. His cowl had been torn off, leaving his face exposed.

He fought the nausea – throwing up right now would only be detrimental to his situation, tied down as he was he’d only get it on himself, and thus into the lacerations that colored his body red.

His arms were tied above his head and the blood had fled them hours ago, leaving them numb. The pressure on his shoulders was relieved in only the smallest extent by being able to kneel on the ground. At least he wasn’t just hanging, suspended in mid-air anymore.

The torturous items scattered around the room were covered in his blood, leaving red to stain his peripheral vision.

A harsh cackling fills his ears, “You have such a strong boy here, Batsy! Hasn’t spoken a word this entire time! You must be so proud!” Another gleeful chuckle and suddenly a hand wrenches his head up and he sees white-red-green. “I think I might have broken him, though~”

The Joker straightens, letting Tim’s chin hit his collarbone as he lets go. The man walks out of his sight, “But you know, it’s been nearly 21 hours now and I’m getting bored.”

A part inside Tim whines at that: at the fact that’s only been about a day but it feels like it’s been a week, at the fact that they still haven’t come for him, at the fact that he always trusted Bruce to come…

“So I’m afraid we’re going to have to put an end to this game.”

…but, like with the others, his trust was apparently misplaced.

He feels ice-cold metal caress his face. “You know, Timmy, you were always my least and my most favorite. You’re so much like Batsy, you know? Even more so than the little hellion that parades around in your old colors. I always wondered just how much you could do with that brilliant mind, but you were so dedicated to Batsy. It was annoying,” he hisses. “But that doesn’t matter anymore. I only wish I could have opened your eyes, baby bat. But wishful thinking and all that. So give Ol’ Jack a big smile now, okay?”

The metal touches his neck and he dully realizes that it’s a knife. He feels the Joker come far too close, closer and closer until he’s breathing against his ear.

“Happy birthday, Timmy.”

And the Joker cuts open a bright red smile on his neck.

_

“What’s this?” Dick frowns at the package in his hands. It’s slim and light, possibly a DVD case. It had been on the rooftop of one of the buildings he’s been known to frequent.

“To the Bat and his family,” was written on it.

Dick, not liking the feeling he was getting, decides to go back to the cave.

Alfred is there setting up food, and he raises an eyebrow as Dick enters. “It is still early, Master Richard. Why have you returned?”

Dick holds up the package, “I found this on my patrol and I want to check it out.”

The butler frowns as he sees what’s written on it, “I see.”

_

After several minutes of investigation, Dick deems it safe to open. He still opens it in a clear-view airlock glove box, just in case. But inside is only a slim case with an unlabeled DVD and a note.

Everything seems to stop once he reads the note.

Alfred, wondering why he’d stopped moving, wanders over and looks over his shoulder.

“My God…” Alfred grips his arm, “Richard, I’m going to call the others.”

Dick nods dumbly, and takes out the package as Alfred goes over to the console and begins contacting the others.

His mind flashes back to what must have been only a day ago. He thinks about their fight. He thinks about the things he said to Tim.

What if he had listened?

What if he’d paid attention?

What if-?

He holds his head in his hands.

What if he’d sent Tim to his death?

_

After some persuasion (or a lot of it, in Jason’s case) they are all in the cave. Bruce, Damian, Jason, Dick, Stephanie, and Cass. With Barbara watching from a separate monitor.

“Okay Goldie, tell us what this is about. And it better be good.”

Dick holds up the note and case, “This was on the roof of one of the buildings I frequently patrol over. It’s labeled ‘To the Bat and his family.’”

Bruce frowns deeply at this.

“It’s from the Joker.”

Everyone tenses.

Stephanie speaks up, “Come on, Dick. What’s the note say?”

Dick inhales deeply and lets it out slowly.

“’Dearest Batsy;  
You know, I expected better of you. You used to be so fond of this little birdy. I wonder what happened? It must’ve been something big for you to completely forget about him.   
But anyway~ I suppose I should just get to the point! This is a present from me to you. I hope all of you are there! All the little bats and birds that this little boy loves so much. You all should be there to receive this gift!  
A gift from the Birthday Boy to you all.  
Yours eternally,   
Joker’”

Everyone is pale at this point, even Damian. Stephanie is even shaking while Cass grips her hand tightly.

And Jason… Jason is shaking, too. Though from what emotion they couldn’t tell.

“Put… Put it in, Dick,” Bruce says softly, almost hoarse.

He does so and a few gasps sound as it starts to play.

It shows Tim, half-naked, seemingly unharmed, and hanging by his wrists from chains connected to a pulley in the ceiling.

“Hello~ Batsy! It’s been so very long! It took forever to get out of Arkham this time. But those silly officers can’t even dream of ever measuring up to you.”

Tim’s not moving, and they fear the worst until the Joker walks over to him.

“Wakey-wakey, birdie!” he cackles, pushing him. Tim grunts at the sudden movement and the obvious pain the swinging is causing his shoulders. “Say hello, Timmy-bird!” Tim flinches at the touch as the Joker removes his blindfold.

Blue eyes squint and blink, trying to get used to the light. Once he can see, he starts looking around, clearly distressed and confused.

“You see, I saw this lost and lonely little birdie out and about today, which was just odd, you know? Considering what today is.”

There’s a date and time counter on the bottom right. And the date suddenly hits them all.

They all watch the video. No one moves. No one speaks.

The only sounds are Joker’s talking and Tim’s screams.

And at the end…

When Joker carves that smile into Tim’s flesh and Tim gives a last gurgling sigh of a breath…

They snap.

_

They were all in on it.

So that means no one will even know what exactly happened to the Joker. Or who exactly did it.

But that’s okay.

Because now the Joker can’t harm any more Robins.


End file.
